You know the taste of salami and pepperoni, but what about sopressa and salumetto, coppa and capicola, finocchiona and bresaola? Many people haven’t even heard of these varieties of meats, though that is changing as salumi – dry cured meat – and charcuterie – dry cured, smoked and cooked meat – have become one of the latest food trends.

“People are trending to this old artisanal style of food,” said Michele Carter, chef de cuisine at The Butcher Shop in Boston, one of eight restaurants owned by Barbara Lynch Gruppo. “It’s delicious, and people like that it’s nose-to-tail eating where the whole animal is used.”

“Salumi is very different from the salami and pepperoni that people know,” Carter said. “Many people are becoming more adventurous in what they eat and will try something new that’s been recommended.”

And the popularity also reflects the current trends of diners ordering small plates and sharing them.

“It’s meant to be shared and to be a way to experience a variety of tastes, just like tapas,” said Kevin O’Donnell, executive chef of The Salty Pig, which opened in 2011. “You find it in a lot more restaurants, even if it’s only a small board with a few items.”

These dry cured and smoked meats also are perfect meat for a summer trip, hike or a picnic since they do not need to be kept cold and are meant to be eaten at room temperature.

The popularity may be new, but they are based on traditional ways of preserving meat when refrigeration was not an option. To eliminate bacteria, the meat was salted to remove the moisture in which bacteria grow. It then was flavored with spices and dried or smoked.

O’Donnell and many other chefs take pride in serving meat from pigs raised humanely without growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics.

“It makes a difference in the flavor and quality of the meat,” O’Donnell said. “It’s better for the animal, the environment and our bodies.”

While the terms often are used interchangeably, salumni specifically refers to cured meat, while charcuterie can be cured, smoked or cooked in an oven, such as a pate, terrine or rillette.

Usually served sliced thin or in small pieces on a board, charcuterie and salumi offer diners a way to experience a wide variety of flavors and textures, ranging from soft to chewy, moist to hard, mild to spicy. Five or six types typically are accompanied by cheeses, as well as pickled vegetables and whole grain mustard. Some people place the meat on bread, while others simply combine the meat with the accoutrements.

Page 2 of 2 - “They are combined with foods that have acid in them, like vinegar, because that enhances and brightens the taste,” Carter said.

O’Donnell developed his interest in introducing Americans to different types of meats after working in restaurants in Italy and France. He makes about 12 pates, mousses and terrines, including a specialty, porchetta di testa, which translates into pig’s head. City of Boston health regulations allow restaurants to make their own cooked charcuterie, but do not allow them to dry or cure meat.

“The head – specifically the cheeks – have some of the most delicious meat,” O’Donnell said. “We take the bone out, stuff it with fennel, rosemary, red pepper, salt and garlic, cook it slowly for 16 hours and slice it thin. Surprisingly, it’s very popular.”

Porchetta di testa, like many charcuterie and salami meats is both fatty and salty. But O’Donnell and Carter said they believe the meat is too tasty to abandon, but should be eaten in moderation.

“Some people definitely shy away from it,” Carter aid. “But if you eat very thin slices you’re not consuming a huge amount of food.”

At The Butcher Shop, some of the popular items are finocchiona, a variety of salami with fennel, duck liver mousse, and the country-style pork terrine wrapped in bacon.

When asked, staff provide a bit of oral history.

Petit Jesus, which tastes like a subtle salami, earned its name because it takes nine months to age and weighs about 6 pounds, like a baby. In the story for the creation of finocchiona, a street urchin stole salami from a butcher and hid it in a pile of fennel. When he retrieved it, the fennel had infused the meat.

“These meats are such an old tradition and people like knowing about them,” Carter said. “They’re from a different world that intrigues people.”